Blow-off steam condenser and heat exchanger for pulp producing apparatus and the like



IN VEN TORS.

A TTORNE) Oct. 1, 1957 H. s. MESSING ETAL BLOW-OFF STE AM CONDENSER AND HEAT EXCHANGER m U T m A m 2 A mm 6 MW 2/ H u M Q MW w m m: /ll I P a MUM AAA/1% 4 9 VII! lf/la F I FIG. I.

United States Patent BLOW-OFF STEAM CONDENSER AND HEAT EX- CHANGER FOR PULP PRODUCING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Hjalmar S. Messing, New York, and Bengt Nilsson, White Plains, N. Y., assignors to American Defibrator, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 16, 1954, Serial No. 443,736

4 Claims. (Cl. 214-17) This invention relates to steam-condensing devices, and more particularly to a device of this character especially adapted for use in conjunction with a feeding apparatus of the type employed in wood-pulp treating apparatus.

In such apparatus, and possibly also in other types of machines, the woodchips or stock is usually conveyed through one or more chambers while being maintained under relatively high steam pressure. In the case of a rotary feeder in which the chips enter a pocket in the feeder while a diametrically-opposite pocket in the feeder is being emptied, the steam under pressure is forced into the empty pocket and the steam-filled pocket is then carried by rotation of the feeder to the loading point. The presence of steam under pressure in the pocket which is then presented for filling with the chips, impedes the filling action and hence it is desirable to eliminate the steam pressure from each pocket in the rotary feeder prior to the presentation of the pocket to the stock for filling.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a steam-condensing device, applicable to a rotary feeder of the character above mentioned, and possibly to other types of feeders, which will enable the steam in the pockets of the feeder to be condensed prior to the presentation of each pocket to feeding position, thereby greatly facilitating the feeding operation.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of means by which water, wood-treating liquor or other suitable fluid will be injected into each pocket when the pocket is located at a point intermediate of the filling and emptying positions, resulting in condensation of the steam then in the pocket, so that when the pocket reaches filling position, it will be substantially free of the steam.

With these objects, and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a rotary feeder, showing the steam-condensing means applied thereto, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the housing of the rotary feeder, which may be of the type employed in woodpulp feeding apparatus. The housing 1 is provided with a replaceable lining 2, within which the pocketed feeder 3 is rotatable and is driven at the required speed by suitable means known in this art. The inlet or feed opening for the feeder is designated at 4 and a conduit 5 leads to the same and extends from a hopper or other suitable source not shown but from which the wood chips or other material to be treated is delivered into the inlet opening 4 to be received and moved by the feeder.

In the form shown, the feeder 3 is provided with a pair of diametrically-opposite pockets or recesses indicated respectively at 6 and 7. During the rotative movement of the feeder, the pockets are successively presented to the inlet opening 3 to receive a charge or filling of the stock,

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while the previously-filled pocket is then in registration with the outlet opening 8 and is dumping its contents into the conduit 9. For example, in Fig. l, the pocket 6, shown as empty, would normally be filled with the chips and said filled pocket would be on its way toward the outlet 8 to dump its contents'thereinto. Conduit 9 is usually connected to a pre-soaking chamber, digester or other chamber according to the nature of the material being handled and depending upon its treatment. Steam under pressure, indicated at 10, usually fills the outlet opening 8 and also the conduit 9 leading thereto, and as a result as the stock leaves the pocket in the feeder which is then in registry with the outlet 8, the steam will be forced into and will fill the pocket. In Fig. 1, the steam-filled pocket 7 is indicated as having left the outlet 8 and as having rotated counter-clockwise to a position in alignment with an opening 11 in the lining 2, which opening is in registration with an inlet passage 12 forming in the housing 1. At one end, the passage 12 is closed by the plate or disk 13 into which the threaded end 14 of a fluid-supply pipe 15 is threadably fitted. A valve 16 in the pipe 15 controls the flow of fluid through the pipe and into the passage 12 and aligned opening 11.

From the foregoing, the operation of the described structure will be readily understood. When one of the pockets or recesses 6 or 7 in the rotary feeder 1 is in registration with the inlet opening 4, the stock descending through the delivery conduit 5 will enter into said pocket for conveyance toward the outlet 8. Simultaneously, the pocket that is then facing downwardly, or is directed toward the outlet opening 8, will be dumping its contents down through the outlet 8 and conduit 9. As the latter pocket is emptied of its contents, the steam then below it and filling the outlet 8 and conduit 9 will flow into the pocket and fill said pocket. The rotation of the feeder in a counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, will next bring the steam-filled pocket, indicated at 7 in Fig. 1, to a position in registration with opening 11 and aligned fluid-passage 12. Water, liquor or other cooling fluid under pressure, flowing through the pipe 15 will thereupon pass through the passage 12 and through opening 11 and be forced into the pocket 7 and into contact with the steam therein, condensing the steam. As a result, when the pocket 7 is next presented at the inlet opening 4 for filling, 'the steam which was in the pocket will now have been condensed, and the resistance of the same to entry of the chips or stock into the pocket then presented for filling will be materially diminished. It will be observed that when the fluid is being injected into one of the pockets, the inlet and outlets in the housing will be closed or shut off by other parts of the housing.

From the foregoing it will be clear that by means of the construction described, the steam entrant into the pocket of the feeder while the same is at dumping position, will be condensed prior to the presentation of the pocket for filling and thus the filling operation of the de vice will be facilitated to a very substantial extent.

While I have herein shown the feeder as being provided with only two pockets, with one of the same located diametrically opposite to the other, it will be apparent that the feeder may be provided with more pockets if found necessary or desirable. It will be also apparent, that the steam condensing device disclosed can be applied to feeders and other conveying devices of a structure other than that disclosed, and other changes in structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

What I claim is:

1. A steam-condensing means for feeders comprising a housing, a feeder rotative therein, said feeder having pockets, the housing and an inlet and an outlet, a fluid passage leading into the interior of the housing, and adaptall other pockets are disaligned from the inlet and outlet,-

to thereby force fluid into said pocket and condense steam contained therein, the pockets being spaced apart to provide portions whichclose the inlet and outlet while the liquid isbeing forced into'a pocket.v

of diametrically-opposite stock-receiving 1 pockets, the

feeder having an inlet and an outlet so arranged that when one pocket is disposed in registry with the inlet for filling, the other pocket will be arranged-in registry with the out:

let and will dump its contents into the same and will become steam-filled, a fluid-conveying passage leadinginto" the interior of the housing and located intermediate of the inlet and outlet and with'which the steam-filled pockets will register when the pocket-moves away-from the outlet,

said passage communicating with one of-the pockets only when the other pocket is disaligned from both the' inlet and the outlet and means for delivering fiuid through the fluid passage and into the steanl filledepocket when said pocket is in registry with the said fluid passage.

3. A steam-condensing means as provided for in claim" 2, wherein the pockets in the feeder are so spaced apart be disaligned from the inlet and outlet and parts ofthe feeder will be closing oflf both said-inlet'and outlet;

4. A steam-condensing device for feeding apparatus comprisinga rotary feeder having pockets; a housing in which the feeder is rotative, the housing having inlet and outlet passages, the feeder presenting one pocket to the inlet passage while another pocket is being simultaneously presented to the outlet passage-for emptying, means for condensing steam received by the emptied pocket comprising a'iiuid inlet leading into the housing at a point bet-ween the inlet and outletpassages; and means forforcing fluid through the fluid inlet to cause 'said'fiuid to enter the steamsfilled pocket and condense'the steam therein,..the distance between the pockets in theifeederdbeing greater thanfithe 'siiei-of the.'inlet and outlet'passages whereby portions of the-feeder located between the pockets will act to simultaneously close off both the inlet and outlet openings while thesfluidv isibeing forced into the steam-filled pocket, said fluid-supply means being positioned to force fluid into the steam-filled pocket onlywhen the pockets are disaligned from the inlet and outlet pas- 20 sages.

that when the steam-filled pocket is in registry 'With'the fluid passage, the other pocket containing stock will References-Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES' PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 812,245": Germany Augu27f1951 Thompson July 15, 1941 

